Circular knitting machine



Feb- 27 1951 J. JAVOREK ET A1. 2,543,172

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2l, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR5 l" ATTORNEYS Febo 279 1951 .1.JAvoREK ET Al. 2,543,172

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2l, 1947 5 Sheets-Shc-zeil 2 j@ I 7 f6 Feb 27 1951 J. JAvoREK ETAL 2,543,172

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2l, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. Z7, 1951 J. JAVOREK ETAL 2,543,172

I CIRCULAR KN-[TTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1947 5 sheets-sheet 4 Feb. 27, 1951 .1..1AvoREK ET AL 2,543,172

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2l, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 abbo/muis Patented Feb.. 27, 1951 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Jaroslav J avorek and Antonin Vantko, Zlin,

Czechoslovakia, assignors to Bata, narodni podnik, Zlin, Czechoslovakia Application January 21, 1947, Serial No. 723,438 In Germany August 7, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires August 7, 1962 3 Claims.

This invention relates to circular knitting machines and has for its object to simplify the means hitherto used in an operative system in circular knitting for the manufacture of splitworked hosiery and so to improve them that the split-worked hosiery has a better appearance.

The means hitherto employed, in which at each course of the circulating needles it was the object to obtain always at the same place a change between two or more thread guides, consisted of thrust cams which were xed on anv auxiliary pattern drum revolving synchronously with the needle cylinder and driven by the main shaft. This arrangement, however, necessitated the interposition of a transmission device in the form of levers or connecting bars between the auxiliary pattern drum and the thread guide. Through the action of the thrust cams on the transmission device it was intended, that the putting into and out of operation of the thread guides operative during the split work should take place exactly at the same needles.

Experience showed, however, that at high machine speeds there was with such an arrangement still not sufficient certainty, that the threads would always enter or leave the fabric at exactly the same needle, resulting in an untidy transition between the split worked lower part and the normal or plaited upper part. This was to be accounted for by the more or less accurate position of the rapidly revolving thrust cams fixed cn the auxiliary pattern drum, which tends to loosen during operation and the periphery of which has to be described by the transmission device pressed against them by spring tension, which was, however, rendered uncertain through the spring tension gradually changing. A Afurther cause of trouble was the gradual wearing away of the ascending and descending surfaces of the thrust cams. The continuously moving thread guides and threads caused the untidiness of the plaited and reverse plaited hosiery.

The invention does away with the aforesaid disadvantages; it makes possible a greatly simplied construction of the machine and scrupulously neat lines of loops in the split or joining seam.

The present invention consists substantially in this, that on the cam frame vadditional cam members are provided, by means of which the 2 knitting needles, the butts of which are of different length, are moved into or out of the range of the stationary thread guides.

This eliminates what has hitherto been necessary at each half circuit, when knitting splitworked parts of a stocking, namely the alternate engagement and disengagement of rockable thread guides and the hitherto used, rotary auxiliary pattern drum with its drive and the transmission device.

Further characteristic features of the present invention will be gathered from the following description and drawings of a constructional example, in which the application of the invention to a reverse plaiting circular knitting machine of a known kind is illustrated.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side view of the lower part of a stocking with a split-worked sole D and the upper part B of the heel,

Figure 2 a partial view of the loops of a splitworked part to an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 a view of the latch needles used,

Figure 4 the arrangement of the needle butts in the ring of needles and a diagrammatic representation of the guiding of various threads,

Figure 5 a vertical section through the needle cylinder and the pattern drum,

Figure 6 a diagrammatic representation of the motion of the needle hooks with respect to the thread guides,`

Figure 7 a development of the cam members,

Figure 8 a view from above on to the cylinder cam frame shell,

Figure 9 a section along line a-a of Figure '7,

Figure 10 a section along line c--c of Figure '7,

Figure 11 a section along line b-b of Figure 7,

Figure 12 a section through the eccentric supporting means of the thread guides,

Figure 13 a section along line d-d of Figure 12,

Figure 14 an arrangement of the presser of the usual construction,

Figures 15-18 the paths followed by the needles during normal knitting without split-work and Figures 19-22 the paths followed by the needles during the split-work.

In Figures 15-22 there are indicated by two parallel dotted lines the paths of the needle butts 3 and by a single dotted line the paths of the needle hooks.

The circular knitting machine of a kind known per se, with reference to which the invention shall now be explained, is provided with a revolving needle cylinder I with normal needles 2, 3, 4, (Figure 3), of which about half of all the needles disposed around the periphery have short butts 2a and the other half long butts 3a (Figure 4). At one end of the set 3a, of long-butted needles are two needles 4 with butts of medium length and at the other end one needle 5 with a quite short butt. The arrangement may, however, also be such that only one needle 5 with a quite short butt is provided on one side and one needle 4. with a butt of medium length on the opposite side.

The short-butted needles 2 (heel needles) serve the purpose of knitting the rear side of the length A, the split-worked upper part B of the heel, the heel C and the split sole D. The long-butted needles 3 (upper foot part or instep needles) serve the purpose of knitting the front side of the length A and the upper side of the foot E (Figure 1). The medium-butted needles 4 and the quite short-butted needle 5 act as binding or joining needles (split needles) between the knitted upper part and the split-worked upper part B of the heel and the sole D. The rows of loops F, formed on the needles 4 and 5, therefore contain all the threads in common (Figures 2, 4)..

Six thread guides 5 to II (Figure 12) are provided, of which, for instance, the two thread guides 6, 'i serve the purpose of knitting the length A and the instep part E in reverse plaited pattern, whilst the thread guide I I is used for knitting the split sole D and the split-worked upper part B of the heel, the thread guide 8 for knitting the heel C, the thread guide 9 for knitting the top and the thread guide IU for instance for striping or for other patterns.

All the thread guides are drawn by helical springs I2 (Figure 5) into the operative position, in which the thread guides 5, 'I, I I are set by set screws i3, whilst the other thread guides 8, 9, IU

are outside the operative position, when knitting split articles. In their operative position they rest on the guide plate I4. For controlling the thread guides there are push bars I5 of a known kind, which run in guides I5 and are raised and lowered by thrust cams of a control drum I'I at suitable moments, that is, when passing from the border to the leg, heel, split sole and toe.

The operative system consists of a stationary cylinder cam frame shell I8 (Figure 8) with the cam members I9, 20, 2I (Figure 7) of the usual construction, the modified central, upper cam member 22, and the lower cam member 23, and the cam member 24 according to the invention.

The inner concave surfaces of the cam members i) .l

l 9, ZI) lie so close to the needle cylinder that they can actuate all the butts of the needles. The cam member 2l which is actuated by the control drum and is adjustable radially with respect to the needle cylinder influences in this direction during the knitting of the split part only the long-butted needles 3 (Figure 1G), whilst the usual row of short-butted and medium-butted needles 2, 4, 5 moves past the cam member 2I and is only sunk by the cam member I9. member 22 has at the lower right-hand point a cut-away portion 25 of such a depth that the short-butted and medium-butted needles 2, 4, 5 pass through it, whilst the rest of the concave surface bears against the needle cylinder.

The central upper cam .f

The cam member 24 according to the invention can be brought into and out of the operative position with respect to the needle cylinder and, during the split work, sinks (as will be seen in Figures 20-22) al1 the needles with the exception of the short-butted needle 5 (Figure 19) in front of the thread guides 6, 'I which remain in the operative position and knit the upper part of the foot (Figure 6). The radial adjustment of the cam member 24 with respect to the needle cylinder is effected by the thrust cam 26 fixed on the control drum Il (Figure 5), with its sliding surfaces 27, 23, 29 of diierent height and by the push bar 3i which slides on them with its end 30 and on which a lifting plate 32 with a symmetrical incision 33 is xed by screws 34.

The cam member 24 is rigidly connected with a sliding member 35 which is guided in the bracket 3B of the right-hand picker 3l (Figure 8). The eXtreme positions of the sliding member 35 are fixed by a. pin 36 provided in it, which slides in the slot 39 of the small cover plate 4E) screwed to the bracket 36. The accurate radial adjustment of the sliding member 35 and of the cam member 24 with respect to the needle cylinder I is eiected by a radial displacement of the small cover plate 49 which is secured in its position by screws 4I, the helical spring 42 being attached with one of its ends to the sliding member 35 and with its other end to the small cover plate 40 and drawing the cam member 24 as far towards the cylinder as the pin 38 is allowed to move by the slot 39 of the small cover plate 45.

A two-armed lever 43 capable of turning about a pivot 44 acts with its right-hand arm on the sliding member 35. To its left-hand arm is xed by means ofscrews 4l a small plate 48 which with its bevelled surfaces on both sides slides either on the upper or the lower surface of the incision 33. When the small plate 48 is in the middle of the incision 33 and the end 35 of the push bar is on the sliding surface 2 of the thrust cam 26, as shown in Figure 5, then the cam member 24 has its concave surface in the operative position for the knitting of split work, that is to say, is at such a distance from the needle cylinder, that only the quite short-butted needle 5 will pass through it and will therefore not be sunk (Figure 19).

The hook of the needle 5 will then travel along the path marked I (Figures 6, 19), in which it catches hold of the two threads 49, 5] of the stationary thread guides 5, I knitting the upper part of the foot. These threads, having once been seized by the needle 5, will also be caught hold of by the instep needles 3, fi with medium and long butts, which follow it and travel along the path II (Figures 6, 2l), as the cut-away part 5I of the stationary cam member 23 only allows the short-butted needles 2 to pass and steers the needles 3, 4 again within range of the thread guides 6, 'I.

The cam member 2I which is also actuated by the control drum I'I, adjustable radially with respect to the needle cylinder and is of ordinary construction has, during the knitting of the split part, its concave surface at such a distance from the needle cylinder that the short-butted and medium-butted needles 2, I and the needle 5 with the quite short butt pass through it (Figures 19, 20, 22), their hooks travelling in the paths I, III (Figure 6), in which they catch hold of the thread 52 of the thread guide II, intended for the split part, whilst the needle hooks of the long-butted instep needles 3 has already been sunk by the cam member 2|, therefore travel in the path II land receive no split thread 52 (Figure 21).

During the knitting of the remaining parts of the stocking, that is to say, Aduring normal -knitting, the cam member 24 will, owing to achange Y in the position of the control drum I1 and of the sliding surface 28 of the thrust cam 26 (Figure 5), occupy a position of rest, that is to say, itis at such a distance from the needle cylinder, that the butts of all the needles pass through it and are therefore not sunk. The same applies to the cam member 2| of known construction (Figures -18).

A further characteristic 'feature of the invention consists in this, that during the knitting of split-worked hosiery both the split thread guide I I used for the lower part D (sole) and the thread guides 6, 'l used for the upper .part E of the foot part remain around the lwhole of the periphery of the courses of loops in an operative, stationary position Vand are put out of operation only during the production of top, heel and toe.

To make this `advantage possible the needles 2 with their butts 2a are before they receive the split thread 52, so controlled in their position as tion, that is to say, those thread guides, which are operative during the knitting of a tubular portion of the stocking deliver their `thread to the whole row of needles. When the split upper part of the heel or the split sole is being knitted, both the just mentioned split thread guides and those freshly put in operation deliver their threads only to those needles, which come within their range of action with the aid of cam members according to the invention. The operative and the inoperative position of all the thread guides is brought about in a known manner by the control drum with thrust cams and push bars.

A further feature consists in this, that indii vidual thread guides are mounted so as to be capable of 4rocking on eccentric bushes supported on a common journal, by turning which a relative displacement of those thread guides in a radial plane to the needle hooks is effected and thus lthe angle, at which the yarns are supplied `to the latter, can readily be altered.

By this means the accurate engagement and disengagement of the thread Ain the hooks and from the hooks of the needles controlled by the cam members is determined by the correct position of the individual thread guide ends with respect to the needle hooks. If, for instance, a split sole with a reverse plated upper foot part is to be knitted, in which three threads 49, 50, 52 (Figure 6) are to be worked in simultaneously, it is necessary for the threads 9, 5D to be laid in the needle hooks at a certain relative angle d which prevents an undesired turning of `the threads. At the same time unavoidable manufacturing faults of the individual parts which determine the accuracy of the position` under the needle hooks of the threads to be introduced are counteracted by the said relative adjustability of the individual thread guides. Furthermore.

different threads according to their peculiar eccentric bushes 53, '5s (Figures .12, 13) and the thread guide 5 on the eccentric bush 55. By turning the bush -5'5 on the eccentric bush 53 the thread guide t can be displaced. The noncircular bushes 53, 54 `are supported by a common journal l58 and a stationary bracket 56, where they are secured against turning by screws 5l. The bush 54 is secured against turning on the journal 58 by the screw 59 and the bush 55 on the lbush by the screw 6D. The described reccentric manner oi" mounting can be used for any sort of thread guide and for other purposes as well, than for knitting split-work and reverse plaiting work.

When, for instance, the reverse plaited length A is being knitted, the thread guides 6, 'I are in the operative position. In this section of the work the push bar Si bears with its end 3E! against the surface of the control vdrum Il `in front vof the thrust cam 25, whereby the cam member 24 is at such a distance from the needle cylinder I that the butts of all the needles 2, 3, 4, and -5 will pass through the cam member 24, without being sunk by it. The long butts of the needles 3 will, therefore, move along the path indicated in Figure 17, whilst the butts of the remaining needles 2, d, 5 will travel through the cut-away place 2'5 without altering their vertical position (Figures 15, 16, 1-8). During this period the cam member 2i is also at such a distance from the needle cylinder, that the butts of all the needles are not sunk by it. Through the cam members 2i, 24 being inoperative, it becomes possible for the two thread i3, 55 to be taken from the thread guide E, 'I by all the needle hooks.

On going over to the split-worked upper part of the heel, B, the thread guide II with the split thread 52 is brought by the push bar I5 and the thrust cam and control drum l l into the operative position and brings the split thread 52 into the `hooks of the last short-butted needles 2, the

thread guides 6, l', which are already operating in the leg part, continuing in their position. In the last course of the leg part before the split-worked upper part B of the heel, in which the short butts of the needles 2 are disposed in front of the cam members 2I, 24, they are brought into the operative position.

The cam member 2i is brought into operation in a known manner and linfluences in the vradial direction only the long-butted needles 3, whilst the row of short-butted and medium-butted needles 2, l, 5 moves past the cam member 2i and is only sunk by the cam member I9 (Figures 19-22).

The cam member 213 is brought by turning the control drum Il, the end 3i! of the push bar bearing on the upward slope of the sliding surface 27 of the thrust cam, towards the needle cylinder in the radial direction, but at first only so far that, after the free passage of the short-'butted needles 2, 5, the medium-butted and long-butted needles 3, I are sunk. During the sinking of these needles the push bar end 35 passes, through the further revolution of the control drum Il, on to the low sliding surface 27 of the thrust cam 25,

'whereby the cam member 24 is brought in the range of the long-butted needles 3 still closed to the needle cylinder, which results in the sinking of all the butts of the needles 2, 3, 4 with the exception of the quite short-butted needle (Figures 19-22). While the cam member 24 is moving into this position, the rest of the shortbutted needles 2, the quite short-butted needle 5 and the medium-butted needle 4 move past the cam member 2|, in order to receive the split thread 52 of the thread guide Il. The following long-butted needles 3 will be sunk by the cam member 2 l, so that they cannot take up the split thread 52 of the thread guide Il.

The thread 52, thus disengaged, lays itself, drawn by the medium-butted needle 4, into the end (il of the inwardly swung presser 62 of a known kind (Figure 14), where it remains until it is inserted under the short-butted and mediumbutted needles 2, f3, 5. By this means the split thread 52, which is not knitted in, lays itself right across the needle cylinder (Figure 4) When the cam member 24 is interposed in the region of the long-butted needles, 3, the latter and the medium-butted needles 4 are continuously supplied with thread from the thread guides 6, l' which are in the operative position. 'I'he paths of these needle hooks are shown in Figures 2O and 21.

The short-butted needles 2 which follow the aforesaid needles are also sunk by the cam member 24, but pass through the cut-away place `5l provided by the invention in the cam member 23 (see Figure 22) without being raised by the sliding surface of the later (Figure 11) consequently they cannot take up any threads 49, 5U from the thread guides 6, T. The two threads 49, 5E, thus put out of action, lay themselves, drawn by the medium-butted needles 4, into the end l of the presser S2, which is in the operative position (Figure 14) from which the previously inserted, free split thread 52 knits itself again into the needle hooks of the needles 2, 5, 4 through the rotation of the needle cylinder. After the production of the split-worked lower part and the reverse plaited upper part, the unknitted portions of the split thread and the reverse plaiting thread at each course of loops extend unsupported right across the inside of the tube (Figure 4) so that, after the production of the piece of hosiery, they have to be cut off on the inside at both ends of each course of loops in a known manner.

In working further courses the needles 3 move in accordance with Figure 21 (knitting the upper part of the foot) and the needles 2 in accordance with Figure 22 (knitting the split-worked upper .part of the heel and the split sole).

At the commencement of the knitting of part C (heel) the cam member 2l is moved away from the needle cylinder in a known manner through the rotation of the control drum I1. At the same time the cam member 24 increases its distance from the needle cylinder through the push bar end 3S running up on to the raised sliding surface 28 of the thrust cam 25. The thread guides 6, '1, H, which during the knitting of the splitworked upper part of the heel were in a xed operative position, are replaced by the thread guide 8 which now alone inserts the heel thread into the shcrt-butted needles 2.

After the completion of the part C (heel) the thread guide 8 is again replaced by the thread guides 6, 7, Il for knitting the split-worked part D (split sole) and through the further rotation of the control drum I'l, during which the sliding surface 29 comes into action, as at the beginning of the split-worked part B (upper part of heel), the parts 2|, 24 become operative, so that the knitting operation already described is repeated.

We claim:

1. A circular knitting machine for the manufacture of split-worked hosiery, comprising: a cam frame, a fixed central upper cam member thereon, knitting needles having short butts, knitting needles having butts of medium length, some of the said knitting needles being adapted to serve as connecting needles, knitting needles having long butts, a radially movable cam member disposed beneath the central upper cam member and movable into one position to allow the connecting needle with the shortest butt t0 pass through while causing the other needles to sink and a Xed lower cam member on the cam frame, the active surface of which, in the circumferential path of movement of the needles is circumferentially spaced rearwardly of the said radially movable cam member and is adapted to raise again the needles with medium and long butts while permitting the needles with short butts to pass through without altering their vertical height.

2. A circular knitting machine for the manufacture of split-worked hosiery, comprising: knitting needles, hooks on the knitting needles, a common journal mounted in a stationary position, eccentric bushes supported on the common journal, a split lower thread guide to be used for knitting the lower part of the hosiery, and upper thread guides to be used for knitting the upper part of the hosiery, the said lower and upper thread'guides being rockably mounted on the eccentric bushes in such a way that by turning the bushes the thread guides are displaceable in radial planes relatively to the needle hooks, whereby the angle between the threads supplied can be altered.

3. .A circular knitting machine for the manufacture of split-worked hosiery, comprising: a cam frame, a fixed central upper cam member thereon, knitting needles having short butts, knitting needles having butts of medium length, some of the said knitting needles being adapted to serve as connecting needles, knitting needles having long butts, a radially movable cam member disposed beneath the central upper cam member and radially movable into one position to allow the conecting needle with the shortest butt to pass through while causing the other needles to sink, a fixed lower cam member on the cam frame, the active surface of which, in the circumferential path of movement of the needles, is oircumferentially spaced rearwardly of the said radially-movable cam member and is adapted to raise again the needles with medium and long butts while permitting the needles with short butts to pass through without altering their vertical height, additional cam members provided on the cam frame, by means of which the said knitting needles are moved into and out of range of the respective thread guides, hooks on the knitting needles, a common journal mounted in a stationary position, eccentric bushes supported on the common journal, a split lower thread guide to be used for knitting the lower part of the hosiery, and upper thread guides to be used for knitting the upper part of the hosiery, the said upper and lower thread guides being ,adapted to remain stationary in their operative position around the whole periphery of the loop JARosLAV JAvoREK. ANTONI'N VANTKo,

10 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Scott Nov. 9, 1915 Houseman et al. Dec. 19,r 1933 Houseman July 30, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain l- Jan. 7, 1924 

